Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/11/2025

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  UnresolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  We rented the apartment at ********************************************************************* from ************************************ for a little over 12 years. On January 26th 2025, we moved out of the apartment and turned in our keys. Since then, we have not received our security deposit of $1,100 back from the landlord. They claim damages were done to the apartment that voids our deposit, but no damages were done beyond normal wear and tear. We tried to negotiate with them via email but they were unwilling to reach an agreement with us. They failed to provide an itemized list of the supposed damages when requested, which is against Pennsylvania law. We spent months making sure our apartment was in better shape than when we moved in and cleaned it thoroughly on move out. We have pictures that prove this. Clearly this business makes a habit of simply pocketing security deposits and refusing to return them no matter what shape the apartments are in upon move out. If we didn't get our deposit back, I doubt anyone else does because we did everything we were supposed to and were still denied our deposit.

  Business Response

  Date: 04/02/2025

  Dear *****,

  Thank you for your email and for bringing this matter to our attention. I would like to provide a detailed response regarding the tenants claims and the situation in question.
  

  The tenants did indeed reside at the property for 12 years. However, the "damage" cited is not considered normal wear and tear. The carpet, which was replaced two years prior to the tenants departure, required removal due to severe damage caused by pet urine saturation. Additionally, the base floor needed to be shellacked to address the damage. Every set of blinds throughout the home was either bent or destroyed, requiring full replacements. The kitchen walls were covered in a thick layer of black soot, likely due to extended use of candles. We attempted to clean the walls, and the kitchen was repainted as part of the repairs.
  

  Furthermore, per the signed lease agreement (paragraph 16), tenants are prohibited from making alterations or improvements to the unit without prior written permission from the landlord. However, the tenants made several modifications without such approval. This included the application of contact paper over the original kitchen countertops, the installation of a backsplash on the kitchen walls, and drilling into the cabinets to install new handles. These unauthorized modifications constitute a violation of the lease terms.
  

  The pet security deposit, as outlined in the lease, is intended to cover damages resulting from pets, and the costs associated with the necessary repairs and replacements exceeded $5,000. Despite my efforts to resolve this matter and communicate with the previous tenant over the course of the last ***************************************************************************** full. I have provided the tenant with photographs and the signed lease agreement to support our position.
  

  If further documentation is required, including receipts from the contractors who performed the repairs, I would be happy to provide those as well. Please feel free to contact me directly at ******************** or by phone at ************ if you need additional information.
  

  Thank you for your understanding, and I look forward to your response.
  

  Sincerely,
  

  ******** ********
  Director of Property Management
  

  
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/02/2025

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.

   

  As shown in the photographs I included with my initial complaint, there were no damages in the apartment beyond normal wear and tear. Repainting and minor damage to plastic blinds falls under normal wear and tear after 12 years of regular use. The carpets in the whole unit were in near perfect shape, as shown in the photos I provided. The contact paper that was placed on the countertops was removable and caused no damage to the original countertop surface, which I proved to the landlord with proof of purchase and product information from the paper I used. I will include those with this response. I offered to pay a small fee for them to remove it, which would have taken them five minutes, but they refused. We were aware they updated the countertops in the unit, but that choice was not due to damage we caused. We should not have to pay for unnecessary updates. Regarding the backsplash and cabinet knobs, the section of the lease they reference about modifications only states that any additions or improvements made by the tenant immediately become the property of the landlord and we are not permitted to take them with us when we leave. We left them like we were supposed to. The lease DOES NOT STATE that we forfeit our security deposit if we make improvements without the landlord's consent. Breaking a rule in the lease does not automatically forfeit our deposit according to Pennsylvania law. Furthermore, the backsplash was not removed from the unit, nor have they shown proof of replacement for the cabinet doors, therefore I have to assume those were left in the unit as well. If the landlord chose to keep them and didn't pay to restore them to their original condition, we are not responsible to pay for any services regarding those alterations. Also, those items were not listed in our disposition letter, and when I requested an itemized list for those supposed "damages", I was denied. That is against Pennsylvania law. The landlord is required to provide an itemized list of any and all damages and costs they claim we are responsible for, but the only thing that was listed in our disposition letter were the countertops, which I proved we did not damage. It's clear the extra "damages" they cite after I proved the countertops were not damaged are just extra excuses they are using to keep our deposit.

  The unit was clean and in better condition than when we moved in when we left. We just want our security deposit back, which we ARE owed, regardless of how many excuses this business comes up with to say otherwise.

  
  Regards,
  
  ******** ******